It's diaper time

I have been meaning to write a blog about Ivy's diapers for a long time. I know it sounds weird to write a blog about diapers but people seem to be interested when I tell them I use cloth diapers. Most people think that it is wierd, gross, too hard or just plain overwhelming. But it's not. So I thought I would write up a little blog about some of the different types and how it works as a whole. Mostly just to educate people about it but who knows, maybe I will convert someone to cloth.
Now let me start by saying that I am aware that I am slightly obsessed with cloth diapers. Case in point, Ivy got 8 diapers for Christmas. Five from me, one from Lily and two from Grandma Bev. Some people may think that is crazy but these diapers are all one sized diapers which means they will fit Ivy until she is potty trained. She is a pound or two away from outgrowing her small sized diapers so I will be able to sell them soon.
Let's start with the why. Why do I use cloth? I use cloth because I feel that it is better for Ivy's skin, they are cheaper than disposables over the three years that a child wears them and they are better for the environment. Those are the main reasons I use cloth. One of the perks is that they are super cute! They make for some cute pics. If you don't believe me check out Angie's Photography on Facebook and check out Ivy's pictures. Okay..now onto the whats.
The first thing to know is that there are sized and one sized (OS) diapers. The benefit of OS diapers is that they are made to fit a baby from 8-35 pounds so they can literally take a baby from birth to potty training. Diapers are also available in sizes. These are great because you can really get a great fit. The downside is that they only fit for a short amount of time so you have to buy more of them. I found with Ivy that the OS diapers were too bulky and didn't fit well when I started using cloth with her when she was around 7 pounds. So I invested in some size small diapers that fit really well up until now at almost 15 pounds. Now the one size (OS) diapers are starting to fit really well. I will be able to sell the small diapers to regain some of the money that I have spent on diapers.
The most confusing part about cloth dipaers is the variety of types of diapers. I will give a brief description of some of the different types available.
The most cost effective diapering option is using prefolds and covers. With this system you need a few dozen prefolds (like the Gerber ones sold in the baby stores only way better, most people just use the Gerber ones for burp rags) and 5-6 covers. There is a little learning curve when it comes to using the prefolds but they are not hard. You can also use flat diapers that you fold yourself to put them in the cover. I have never used them myself but have heard of people loving folding their own flats. There are different sizes of prefolds and covers to customize the fit a bit more or you can just buy one size of prefolds and use either sized or OS covers. This is the system that I used for Lily 9 years ago. It worked well but they were pretty bulky on Lily as a newborn. They were even bulkier on Ivy so that is when I started researching other types of diapering systems.
Another type of diapering system is using fitted diapers and covers. Fitted diapers are made from layers of absorbant materials and usually also have an insert that snaps in that is made of absorbant material. So basically they can absorb a lot of liquid. They are not waterproof so you have to put a diaper cover over them.
The next type are called pocket diapers. These are made from a layer of waterproof material on one side and another layer of fabric like microfleece that water soaks through but it stays dry. Those two layers are sewn together on the two sides and the front and then an opening is left in the back which creates a pocket. You take an insert that is made of an absorbant material like microfiber and stuff it into the pocket. So the urine soakes through the one layer that stays dry and into the insert. Baby's skin stays dry. I use this type of system at night so that I know Ivy's skin can stay dry through the night. I also have some different brands of these I use during the day but I am thinking of getting rid of them. Pockets are not my favorite because I don't like unstuffing them before putting them in the diaper pail and I don't like stuffing them after they are clean. So besides the ones we use at night I think these will get sold eventually.
All in Ones (AIOs) are another popular type of diaper. These are by far the easiest diapers to use and are lovingly nicknamed the "daddy diaper" or "babysitter diaper" because they are the simplest to use. They have all the layers of the pocket diapers (waterproof outside, absorbant material inside, and stay dry inner layer) only they are all sewn together. You don't have to do anything else but just put them on. They go on just like a disposable. These are great for the diaper bag because they don't have to be put together in any way. I love these and have some small sized ones that I use in the diaper bag or when someone watches Ivy I always have these available.
Hybrid diapers are, I think, a fairly new addition to cloth diapering. These are made from a layer of waterproof material on the outside and fleece on the inside. Then you snap in an insert made of absorbant material. Fleece is know for its ability to not soak up moisture. So the beauty of these is that you can switch out the inserts of these over and over and not need a new cover. Of course you would change the cover if it gets poo on it or after a day or so of use just so it stays clean. This system is also great for diaper bags because you just take a couple of covers and a few inserts and they don't take up a lot of room.
Now for the fun part....the All in Twos (AI2s). These are my favorite. They are made out of a decorative fabric, a waterproof layer, and then a layer of material. Then you snap in an insert. They are like a hybrid only you change out the cover each time because the material they are made out of is not water repelling like the fleece in the hybrids. These are some of the cutest diapers I have. I just love showing these off. Although there are many brands of AI2s, my favorites are WAHM made. These are Work At Home Moms that make diapers for a living. There are a ton of differnent WAHM diaper. They usually make fitted diapers too but I prefer the AI2s. These are the ones that people get obsessed with. They are sold in online shops on Hyena cart and some of them are so hard to get that people recruit other people to help them try to get one. I have been lucky enough to get in on some co-ops for my WAHM diapers so I haven't had to recruit any helpers yet.
There is my brief overview of the types of diapers available. There are many many different brands of each type and there are probably other types that I am not familiar with but I did the best I could.
Now onto the hows. How does cloth diapering work? That is actually the easiest part. The hard part is figuring out what system works best for you then once you have your diapers and prep them then using cloth diapers is easy. Basically you just put the diapers together (stuff the pockets, snap in the inserts etc) and then put them at the changing table. When baby needs a diaper you just toss one on. When it is soiled you take it off, take it apart and toss it in the diaper pail which is lined with a wetbag. Every 2-3 days you take the wetbag out of the pail and empty the diapers into the washing machine with the wetbag. Do a hot prewash cycle then wash on warm with cloth diaper safe detergent. I line dry my diapers after the wash to save energy and also to preserve the diapers better. They dry overnight and I toss the inserts into the dryer for 20 to fluff them up and then put the diapers back together again and start over. It is really pretty easy. Some people worry about the smell but honesly disposables smell more than cloth. I have a lid on the diaper pail so I may get a small sniff when I open it to put another diaper in but it is minimal. The smelliest time is when you are putting the diapers into the wash. But that doesn't take very long at all and I would rather smell that every few days then smell urine soaked disposables all day every day. As for the poop, that's pretty easy too. I rinse the poo off with the shower sprayer in the bathtub or in the toilet with at diaper sprayer aached to the toilet. It doesn't take long and gets them pretty well rinsed. If I had a top loading washing machine I wouldn't even need to rinse but with a front loader I find the diapers get cleaner when rinsed first. Some people are grossed out by cleaning poop but I figure I would have to clean the poo off of Ivy's clothes anyway if she was wearing disposables because she blasts through disposables with her poo every time. She has only had a blowout in cloth a few times.
That's all I can think of right now. Hopefully it made sense. I am pretty sleep deprived so pardon any rambling. Please feel free to ask any questions. I know of a lot of websites that have a lot of information. I would love to convert some people to cloth so if you want more details or want to see how cloth diapering works in person and you are local please let me know!

Ivy's Lip Repair

Ivy had her lip repair surgery on November 1st. The picture above was taken three weeks after the surgery. The surgery went really well and the plastic surgeon was very pleased with how Ivy handled the surgery itself. It was a tough day for me though. Chris and I took Ivy to Doernbecher early in the morning. We went back to the prep area and put Ivy in a sweet little hospital gown and waited for the nurses to get things in order. The surgeon and anesthesiologist came out and answered all the remaining questions we had. When it was time for surgery I got to carry Ivy to the "kissing corner" where Chris and I gave her a kiss and told her we would see her soon and then the nurse took her to the operating room. I had held it together up to this point because I really didn't want her to see me cry or sense my anxiety. The tears started as I gave her a kiss and then they really started after we turned and walked away from her.

My mom got to the hospital after taking Lily to school and the three of us went to breakfast and then back up to that waiting room to talk, do crossword puzzles and wait. About halfway through the surgery the nurse called us from the operating room and told us that everything was going well. Ivy handled the anesthesia really well and the surgery was going to take a couple more hours.

When the surgery was done, the surgeon came out to talk to Chris and I about what to expect when we go to see her. After that we waited about twenty minutes more before we could see her. We walked back to the recovery area and saw her laying in the bed. Her face was swollen and bloody and she was just coming out of anesthesia. Her lip was together and she had nasal stents in place. These looked like two straws up her nostrils that were stitched in place. She was groggy and still highly medicated so she was just laying there staring at nothing. She didn't recognize my face. That was hard. I know she knew me but the meds kept her from reacting. She looked different but that was mainly from the swelling. After just a few minutes we were able to walk with her rolling crib and take the elevator up to her room where we would stay the night. I tried to stay where she could see me because she looked so unsettled. We got to the room and the nurse took some time getting the wires all reconnected to machines and got her settled in her crib. Chris and I touched her and talked to her and told her she was okay. When the nurses finished I was finally able to pick her up and hold her. She was so out of it from the meds. She was in pain and groaning and it was hard to hold her in a way that seemed comfortable. She had wires and an IV connected to her foot and arm restraints on her arms. Her face was swollen and she was in pain. It was hard to see. I just held her for a long time while she fell asleep. My mom had been there all day with us and then we were joined my my dad, my sister, Lily and Chris' parents. Everyone tried to just be calm and quiet so that Ivy could sleep because when she was awake she was in pain. After everyone left I took a nap while Chris held Ivy. I knew the night would be long so I wanted to be prepared for it.

Ivy had a pretty predictable routine. She would wake up in a lot of pain and cry and groan. We would give her meds and try to feed her and then she would moan and groan until she fell back asleep and then three hours later the cycle started again. The nurses came in often and checked all her vitals which would wake her and she would cry more. The next morning was more of the same but Ivy was stable and the pain meds where keeping her pain under control so we were released.

The next few days are a blur of giving pain meds, cleaning the wound, sleeping and trying to get Ivy to eat. Each day got a little better and a little better. The wound healed and Ivy's sweet and happy personality started to come back. On the fourth day after surgery we got to see a glimpse of her new sweet smile. Despite Ivy appearing to be on the mend she still was in a ton of pain specifically when we cleaned the wound under the nasal stents. The skin looked very raw and I thought the wound might be infected so I made an appointment with the surgeon for the following Monday. At that appointment the surgeon removed the nasal stents and we were able to see how raw and irritated the skin was under the nasal stent. We had been unable to clean the skin under there enough for it to heal like the wound on the lip. The rest of the week Ivy was still in a lot of pain when we cleaned that skin that was under the nasal stent but after a few days the skin started to heal.

The second and third week after surgery kept getting better and better until we were able to wean her completely off the pain meds and she was ready to be out and about more. She had to wear the arm restraints for three weeks up until the three week post op check up with the surgeon.

It took a few weeks to get used to Ivy's new look. I adored her cleft lip so much. I felt she was the most beautiful little baby with the sweetest little "wide" smile. There was a big part of me that didn't want her to have the surgery. I loved her just the way she was and I never want her to think that we got her the surgery because we didn't like her cleft lip. I was afraid that I wouldn't like her new lip. I know it probably sounds funny but it took me a few weeks to mourn the loss of her perfect little cleft lip and to fall in love with her new perfect little lip. As I watched her heal over the weeks I realized how little the surgery actually changed her. Her eyes still had the same sparkle. Her chubby little cheeks still looked oddly out of place on her skinny little body. The top of her head still had no more than peach fuzz. And the best part about surgery was that afterward she no longer has to wear the NAM!

It is now two months later and Ivy is doing great! Her lip look wonderful. The surgical site has healed up wonderfully and her nose is still perky. We continue to massage the surgical site in hopes that we can get the scar tissue to relax and her lip will come back down as it is pulling up slightly now. She is so beautiful and amazes us everyday by just being her. We love her so much.